Refrigerator light outside of cold zone



April 11, 1939. E. SWEDMAN REFRIGERATOR LIGHT OUTSIDE OF .COLD ZONEFiled Sept. 4, 1936 COLD ZONE Enwcfi/ Swccimcm flmcow w Patented Apr.11, 1939 UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATOR mgg r oursmn OF GOLDApplication September 4, 1936, Serial No. 99,387

1 Claim.

to illuminate the cold chamber when the door of 5 the same is opened,does not affect the cold units within the refrigerating chamber.Heretofore refrigerators have been built with electric lights in thecold zone or chamber. and a certain amount of heat was dissipated fromthe electric light into 1 the cold zone. This has been overcome withthis refrigerator light which is positioned outside of the cold zone sothat it does not in any manner interfere with the refrigerated chamber.

Further, this invention includes a means of po- 15 sitioning theelectric light-in a portion of the refrigerator body which acts toshield the eyes of the observer when the refrigerator is open, be-

cause the light is recessed into the doorway below the line of vision.In this position, the elec- 2o tric light is adapted to shine directlyinto the cold zoneof the refrigerating chamber whenthe door of the sameis open.

Further, the invention includes a switch arm means which extends into aposition so that the 25 armengages against the inside of the surface ofthe door when the door is closed to shut oif the electric light and whenthe door is opened the switch arm automatically moves into position tolight. the electric light. By forming the arm in 30 this manner whichcontrols the switch of the electric light, the enamelled sheathing whichcovers the door will not be marked or scratched by the switch arm so asto injure the outside flnish of the refrigerator door. In old forms used35 heretofore, this was an objectionable feature.

Suitable gasket sealing means is positioned between the door of the coldzone chamber and the insulating body forming the housing for the coldzone, thus to confine the cold zone of the refriger- 4o ator with anonrefrigerated space about the door.

In this nonrefrigerated space and entirely outside of the cold zone, theelectric light is positioned, concealed by recessing the same into thebody of the refrigerator, thereby keeping any 45 heat from the lightoutside of the cold zone and forming a shelf under which the light ispositioned in the doorway which acts as an eye shield.

In the drawing forming part of this specification:

50 Figure 1 illustrates a refrigerator with the door of the same open toexpose the cold zone or refrigerating chamber.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional detail of a portion of the body and doorof the refrigerator, showing 55 the position of the electric light inthe body of the refrigerator, which is recessed therein, and showing theoperating switch arm, together with the gasket means between therefrigerator body and the door to seal the cold zone.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of an electric light as it would appear underthe shelf formed by the projecting portion of the top of therefrigerator, and showing the light outside of the cold zone.

In the construction of the refrigerator A, the upper portion'of therefrigerator projects in a shelf-likepart it above the door B so thatwhen the electric light ii is recessed into the under side of the shelfportion It, the' rays of the light are not visible to the user of therefrigerator, because the light is under the shelf portion ID asillustrated in Figure 2, and the light may shine into the cold zone H ofthe refrigerator A without blinding the person opening the door of thesame.

The electric light ii is recessed into the opening it on the under sideof the shelf portion ill and is adapted to be operated by the switch armH which has a projecting portion l5 depending from the shelf ill andpositioned so that when the edge of the door B moves into closedposition to close the cold zone II of the refrigerator A, theend it ofthe arm i4 is engaged by the inner surface of the edge of the door Boperating the switch which turns ofl the electric light I l.

The door Bis provided with a marginal gasket C which extends about thedoor in a manner to provide a sealing means so as to close the cold zonewhen the door B is shut. The gasket C is formed with a hollowoutstanding rib portion it which compresses when the door B is closedagainst the surface ii to tightly seal the cold zone i2.

The door B is provided with suitable means for hinging the door to thebody of the refrigerator A, and a suitable lock for holding it closed.In the construction of refrigerators of this character, an enamelledmetal sheathing covers the outside and extends to the shoulder againstwhich the door gasket C engages. With the arm I4 formed with a dependingportion it which engages against the corner or edge i8 of the door B,only a slight contact is necessary and therefore the door sheathing willnot be marked or marred by the engagement of the switch arm end 15. Whenthe door opens, the switch arm moves in the slot l9 and turns on theelectric light ll.

The door B is fixed to the refrigerator so as to provide a. space aboutthe same so that when the gasket C closes the cold zone ii, there isprovided around the door a nonrefrigerated space which is entirelyoutside of the cold lone. placing the light ii in this space, any heatfrom the electric light H is not transmitted into the cold zone It, andthis is highly important in refrigeration where it is desirable tomaintain all the cold units within the cold zone and where it has beenfound for other reasons, undesirable to have an electric light withinthe cold zone of the refrigerator.

Thus a desirable construction is provided in the refrigerator A, whereinthe electric light is placed outside of the cold none and is adaptedtobe operated by the opening and closing of the door, and where the lightis inconspicuous to the observer, providing a refrigerator constructionof a neat design and having greater eiiiciency than in the old forms ofrefrigerators where the lights were placed inside ofthe cold zone. Thelight ii is of a unitary character and extends along as illustrated inFigure 8, under the shelf l0. and by beingplacedoutsideofthecoldsoneisnotsub- :lect to the moisture or dampness of refrigeration, eitherin the switch mechanism or the electrical connections.

I claim:

A refrigerator including a body portion having a door opening therein,inner and outer metallic coverings for said body portion, an overhangingportion in said body portion forwardly of said door opening enclosed bysaid outer sheathing, a metallic reflector connected directly to saidouter sheathing whereby heat in said reflector may be dissipated by saidouter sheathing, a light means in said reflector arranged to illuminatethe interior of said refrigerator body portion, a refrigerator door insaid opening. and means actuated by movement of said door forcontrolling said light.

ENOCH SWEDMAN.

